Dennis, you are the finest teacher on the web in explaining the mechanics of the guitar. I got alot out listening to you. I lowered my tress rod as you explained and now it's to my liking.
Great advice Dennis Jr. Extremely fine instruments...Great people who take time and care into an excellent guitar. I’ve spent thousands on the name brands and as a player of over 40 yrs, Zager guitars surpasses all of them! And I’ll add this....I attempted this method on my Seagal and instant buzz. Grabbed my new Zager and found the sweet spot for me and zero buzz and could have gone more.....BOTTOM LINE, ZAGER IS THE BEST SO LOOK NO FURTHER!
I really got a lot out of this video. Thanks. From a comment I read below, when adjusting the truss rod, use small adjustments, the effects may not be immediate, and a good time to elapse for the results of the adjustment of the truss rod is overnight. Now I'm starting to feel confident to check and adjust string height by adjusting the truss rod. I just got a guitar back from repair that has some buzzing going on about the twelfth fret. The guitar traveled from the West Coast to Alberta. So humidity changes also have had an effect on string clearance of the fret board.
Thank you for this video, I suspected that my guitar was little high action, adjusted the truss and it’s so much easier to play higher on the fretboard now :)
When he refers to wood being green he means it's aged wood new to differant pressures and acoustic vibrations. This is the break in period he refered to as 6mo . The grain in the woods set up to these new pressures and vibration and the quality of sound improves also
I'm glad that Zager put this out. I have the 50 and I had the same concerns. I've been too afraid to adjust this myself, but I'm gonna try it. Thanks for the video. Also - I tried lightening-up on the pressure I was putting on my frets (chords), and it worked. Something happened lately with my guitar. I put it away for about a month, in its case, and when I took it out and re-strung it yesterday, the action is much lower, just like you just stated. I've had my Zager for about six or seven months. The Zager really does play easier than other guitars, especially the Taylor, and Martin. It is my new go-to guitar, and I have five acoustics.
Thanks Dennis, Haven't been to Lincoln for a while. Your guitars impress. Haven't been there since I worked on west o., many years ago when all the trucking companies conglomerated. Don't even know if Rose Epuipment exists. I'd love to come and take a tour of your process. I've come to your video tonight because my wife bought me a "guild" for christmas and it's dead flat after a few months and needs adjuistment. The neck height I lowered all the way and there isn't enough string tension to pull it the other way. raising the bridge or the neck seems the only way. I would love to try one of your guitars. I have access to old growth sitka spruce in my area. Possibly we could talk sometime.
Thank you for all this great information. Right now I'm adjusting my 12 strings truss rod of 25 years and put new strings on it and cleaning it all up. This really help me out a whole lot. thank you!
Very good explanations. Just want to say that when you go from nut toward bridge the term is going 'up' the fingerboard, not 'down' it as you keep saying. Going toward nut is going 'downward' . This parallels the pitch of the strings ...M
This was helpful. The action on my 15 year old Alvarez is sitting way high at around 5-6mm. When I try to fret strings from halfway down the neck and further, it I end up muting the ones below it. It's basically impossible to play high up on my guitar right now. I was about to sand my saddle down like you mentioned in the video. I'll try the truss rod first
A great and scientific explanation of the reason why acoustic have higher action at the sound hole, very helpfull, now I decided not to miss with my action as it’s exactly what you have mentioned here. Thanks again
Thank you for video. Tommy Emmanuel and Jerry Reed both play pretty aggressively, and they are the best, and therefore I feel like that is probably the correct way to play.
Agreed... and playing with a heavy hand with strings higher offcourse , gets us the volume we strive for in a guitar....Annnnnd don't forget the Medium Strings, Bone Saddle and Nut and Ebony Bridge Pins to boot !😁🎯
Maybe that is the way they measure at this shop at the 12th fret-board area, but most references I have been familiar with measure from the top of the 12th fret to the bottom of the string. The Recording King Dirty Thirty I just bought runs .019 on the bass E at the first fret and all strings run 1/8" (measured from the top of the fret to the bottom of the string) at the 12th fret. May decide to lower the bridge a little down the road if I start playing in the 12 fret area but at present it plays comfortably at the 1st to 9th frets. Thanks for the info on your video. Like the wood on that guitar you demo.
Good advice to play the guitar with factory set up to season the instrument. Many players work on the saddle to improve action and many MFRs do what Zager does, which is try to find the greatest common denominator for most players, with the mind set to error on e proud side. You can more off later but it’s hard to put it back on!
I bought a Carvin electric 25 years ago. They set it up with incredibly close action throughout the neck. I didn't know what a great set up it actually was because I was used to an acoustic with terribly high action. 😕
I'm interested in raising the action on my electric bass. I like the idea of having greater tonal variety by plucking or picking with different amounts of force and evening out the dynamics with a compressor. The neck as it is almost perfectly straight. The person I bought it off of said he had the action set by one the small chain stores in the area. I'm afraid if I mess with the truss rod the slight imperfection in the neck will become more pronounced. So...since the saddles on the bridge are dropped all the way down I was thinking I could raise those a little and make the nut slightly higher by layering on epoxy to the bottom of that.
I was very interested watching the video until he said that tightening the truss rod will lower the action the sole purpose of the truss rod is for the neck relief. It sure helps to lower the action o a bowed guitar but you'll lose the neck relief some times it doesn't affect but if neck goes back bowed there you have a problem. Thanks for the video thou.
Yeah, I've been doing some research on lowering the action and the explanation that makes sense to me is that the truss rod is adjusted to make sure the neck is straight. Then check the nut, then the saddle. One of the RU-vid luthiers has a great video for everything except how to make sure the nut height is correct.
Just adjusting the truss rod like you said .. Wow what a difference now .just a small adjusted .. I play all the neck .. leave it sex months now and get a set up . Top info ..
Can you explain to me why you think your guitars require a lighter touch? Strings strung between 2 points of the same gauge and equal distance from the top of the fret will require exactly the same pressure
Question, why wouldn’t you straighten the neck? And not adjust the action from the saddle and then the nut, if the neck isn’t straight and you go to level the frets is it not going to be a mess?
Thank you sir with you in depth knowledge and explanation! Excellent video and lots of detail sir. Question>>>> on my 12 string Martin GFC12...., at the 12 fret i have a depth of 7/32".,as i look down the neck from the turnkeys angle, I can see that it is a little U shape ,just a little. so I am assuming the right thing/steps, to do, is to loosen all of the strings( although you do not loosen the trings) and tighten the trust rod 1/4 of a turn only wait 24 hours for it to settle/or relax and go from there? does this sound right??ty for this lovely video!!
A truss rod adjustment needs to be given time to respond to the input. A safe turn; less than a quarter turn, may need time for the wood to respond. Adjustments by someone new to woodcraft need not be in a hurry for results. Allowing the wood, at concert tuning, an overnight period is a good idea. Adjusting two or three, quarter turns, as demonstrated, could result in serious damage to the instrument. If the instrument has sentimental value, old busted or rusted Stella's from the pawn shop will give an idea of what can happen. Realizing an instrument's best intonation is best learned at a snail pace!
I think he is deliberately over-cranking the truss rod, to demonstrate when someone has gone too far. I always allow mine to settle over a day before more adjustments, too (and never more than 1/4/ tune)
Or loosen the strings first before adjusting would perhaps be a good start?... although it may frustratingly take time to get to the desired action height due to the process of loosening and tightening of the strings.
Loosen the 3rd and 4th strings then turn it 1/4 , wait 15 minutes then turn it again. Wait 6 hours and then it one more time. It should be fine. There's no need to wait 24 hours.
Serious damage? Come on man. I've adjusted relief on a ton of guitars, and if moving the truss rod more than a quarter turn ruins your guitar or rod, you have bigger issues on your hand Although I don't agree with how much he is turning it back and forth. That's not what I'm talking about. But you don't have to turn it a quarter and wait 24 hours. People are way over careful when it comes to that And he's completely wrong on what a truss rod does. It's not meant for changing action. At all. It's meant for relief. And it doenst change the angle of the neck, it changes the bow of the neck. Changes the straightness of the neck. I'm shocked that he is speaking in a this fashion Unless this is the one guitar that actually changes the neck set angle through a truss rod. Which would be a first lol
y'all are crazy. the truss rod isn't for adjusting the action but it DOES affect the action low or high. He's saying you shouldn't adjust the saddle if the guitar is new because the action will be lowered within 6 months. If the action is too low it'll affect the sound quality. So if you want to lower the action, adjust the truss rod. However, you shouldn't turn the truss rod constantly like he does in the video and you should keep the strings on when you adjust it. Because that's how your neck is gonna be. Make sure you slowly turn 1/4 at a time, check if there's any buzz after a turn for all strings and notes, and stop turning the truss rod if it becomes harder to turn (do not force it) or you'll have a bigger problem. plus you shouldn't adjust the nut either because it's similar to the idea of adjusting the saddle. Just trust him he makes guitars -_-.
Just did a quarter turn on my 0028 martin modern deluxe and judicially sanded the saddle down just a wee bit. It is a great sounding instrument but there is hardly no break angle at the bridge set at cf martin factory . How disappointing. It is now more playable and i dont think i have sacrificed any sound dynamics. My question is if the guitar was set up like that at martin. Could a professional set up person increase the break angle with a new nut and saddle.
It is not only about buzzing. I record a lot of acoustic guitar and the tone is better when the action is higher. The harmonics can still be nasty if your action is too low. You may not have fret buzz so you think that the action is fine but when you listen carefully or record the instrument you can see many problems. My suggestion is always higher action for beautiful tone
I have a Fender Deluxe Reverb amp. Can I play one of your acoustic guitars through the amp without damage to the amp or speaker? Or can I mic one of your guitars through the amp?
Great Video .. All helps .. you know what your talking about .. very interesting .Im playing mine for six months cause the guitar is new ..Hand made to ..Yes let the thing settle in ..Lovely ta
Its a very delicate dance of multiple-tweaks!! As a player of 30+ years, I can tell you all that its really a combination of the nut, the truss-rod and the bridge!! Its a matter of tweaking all 3!!! Thats how you get that "sweet spot"!! But also, guess what?? It wont stay in that spot forever!! It requires occassional tweaking!!
nice information, but suit for guitar, which have that screw for key, not mine Yamaha C-40 or old German guitar I have, to lower strings I have to file maybe saddle, thanks.
Crank the truss about a half turn clockwise. Sand the bridge down a little bit. Crank the truss back counter clockwise if you get fret buzz 😀 or also you can shim the nut too and dress the frets
Yes but my guitar neck is already straight so if I adjust the neck to lower the action the neck will be bowing out so how do I adjust the action as my strings are to high at the 12th fret? I have owed the guitar for about two years
I've tried to adjust the trust rod to lower the action and resolve the dead fret in the 9th A and 4th G ive notice many brand new guitar have that problem. when the dead fret gone buzzin on 3rd low E accourd. can you advive me on this please.
my guitar is really hard to play at the 1st to 3rd fret, it takes alot of force to push the string down, can i adjust the thrust rod to fix this aswell?
I remember using a 6120 that almost played itself and bar chords were as clear as a bell . That's how Gretsch used to make them .The Gibson Chet Atkins is the same way
I've been playing guitar almost 40 years now. In that time I've owned many different brands, Martin, Gibson, Taylor, Fender, Alvarez, Ibanez, Washburn, Squier, Takamine. My Zager Zad900 is by far the best sounding, playing guitar I've ever owned. The craftsmanship and detail that Mr. Zager puts into his guitars is exquisite. Looks like a piece of art that you can play. I picked mine up at their little shop in Lincoln, Nebraska 12 years ago and Denny was still building each guitar by hand. A great family owned operation, the kind I like to support. If the #1 player in the world plays Zager that also says a lot ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-j--qJ6osiQY.html
ok and on my acoustic maton, the height at 12.fret is 1,6 and 1,2 mm and I can hear buzzing on the B string at first 3 frets once its hit harder... what to do ? shim the nut or polish the frets ?
Maybe the slot on the nut for that string is worn deeper than the rest. Crease a piece of packaging plastic over a knife edge using heat. Cut a sliver of the curved plastic and slide it under the loosened string into nut slot. If doing this improves but doesn't fix the problem repeat until the problem is fixed. Replacing the nut is the usual fix, but I would fill in the bottom of the slot with epoxy and use the straight edge of a broken Dremel Cut-off Wheel to bring the slot down.
Lqte to this video but i wanted to say, I lowerthe action at the saddle and i add to thr break angle by adding behing the saddle ehere the break angle is. You can go all the way to the top of the bridge that way.
The truss rod only sets the relief on the neck. This is the first step in a much bigger process of getting a a set up and good action. I’m sure your father knows this.
@@jim34morrison Depends which way you adjust truss rod, the truss rod can make a significant difference in string height and cab reduce string buss, its a major part of any guitar set-up.
Turn the guitar upside town lean it on a wall and put some penetrating oil in the mechanism and let it set a few days. Not guaranteed but it's worked before.
Yep pop some oil in as said if it's stiff loosen off and tighten again . Had same prob with mine i loosened off pup oil on left it few hours and tightened back lost the stiffness and worked better
my jay renolds classical guitar does not have the part where u put the Allen wrench under the neck. I know I'm a little late but if u can help me please do because my strings are really high
Well, kind of late on a reply here; "Classical Guitars" have a "graded" height designation according to the player's stage of learning. Most guitars designed for the beginning player will have a lower action made for easier learning of technique and muscle memory. As the player advances to a better guitar, the strings will most likely be higher off the fretboard. Concert level guitars, for more volume and quality of tone, are stupid high off the board! I was allowed to play a fifteen thousand dollar Rameriz and could not make much music with my limited classical experience! If your instrument can be adjusted I suggest taking it to a well known lutheir recommended by a local classic guitar club.
